Dubai and Dubya: America's political free-for-all

01-03-2006

Beware one and all…the hornet’s nest has been tampered with! The wasps are all agitated, each doing its own choreographed flight. All the Vespa have come out of their papery nest, buzzing around and getting ready to sting: prejudice, fear, avarice, more-fear, political-Tweedledum, political-Tweedledee, extreme-fear… those are some of the warrior-wasps, all dressed up in battle gear.

Under the theme of “the ports’ controversy,” what we are seeing is a political free-for-all. This controversy has as much or more to do with prepping up by the duopolistic politicians for next election as with Dubai Ports World (DPW) and any bona fide security concerns. This is a controversy where politicians coming up for re-election must reposition their sails to conform to the direction in which the public wind blows.

The wind, aided by strong Arabophobia (… or Islamophobia) currents, seems to invite the Democrats to secure a beachhead on their planned invasion to free up some power from their Republican brethren. And also offer some nervous Republican politicians the opportunity to distance themselves from Bush, thus hold on to their congressional seats.

For two weeks, America has been in an altered state, comments and denunciations filling the airwaves; while the printed and digital media have “hyenated” on this issue until the bones have been picked clean; and every individual, whether knowledgeable or ignorant on the subject, has made his/her position known at the work place.

And, as usual, the public debate has been short and incomplete; opinionated and lacking in facts… with the race-religion demon always showing its smirking ugly face. Domestically, little by little, Americans have been shuffling away the ethnic/race card… but it seems that on the international front progress has come to a permanent halt.

Christians and Muslims, and their agnostic but culturally-linked brothers, have many things in common to share; commonality that embraces not only issues of humanity and brotherhood, but the all-important issue of power. Whether we like it or not, all of us are at the mercy of our leaders’ decisions. And their decisions, unfortunately, are for the most part based on money and power… and their desire to maintain and grow them.

As much as we would like to force the discussion of DPW operating the six American ports as an issue of security, it may be more aptly described as one of global capitalism at work, a cult that most of those in power adhere to, and its business liturgy followed.

Dubai and Dubya… it conjures up money and power, doesn’t it? This is a tale of two names that not only resemble each other, but have identical roots. Not linguistic roots, but liquid hydrocarbon roots. One could say without fear of equivocation that they are both petroleum byproducts. A modern emirate-city carved out of a desert by oil profits, and a dummied up politician carved out of greed to help maximize oil profits.

Now we have a “Forty-five Day Truce,” one in which Republicans can find a way to rally the public, showing that the ports will be secure… and for the Democratic politicians to show the nation that on the issue of security they are more papist than the pope (Bush).

One wishes that during this 45-day fact-finding period on DPW, a parallel in-depth investigation would take place. A no holds barred investigation as to the dealings of the Bush family [Bush Father, the 41st, and his sons: Neil, Marvin… and while at it, Jeb and Bush Son, the 43rd] and the all-powerful families of the Middle East [Maktoum and Sabah for starts]. For birds of a feather, in this case wealth/power, do flock together.

Yes, we can dream on, but fat chance! Americans revere their leaders, or their celebrity status. You can sense it by the intonation of journalists, and just about everyone else, addressing emotionally the dweller of the White House: “Mr. President, sir,” which is ridiculously beginning to sound as if saying, Your Highness… or Your Holiness. It isn’t deference or respect for the office, but an obvious reverence for idiotic servitude. “A government of the people, by the people and for the people” has lost its entire luster since it was first enunciated by Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg.

At the end of the day… it’s always the same: Money and Power plus the opportunity by an elitist few to harvest them. The more powerful lobbyists in this United States do not have their offices on K-Street. One suspects that theirs are at the White House.